Legacy V2: Operation Legion
by paomayo
Summary: As the Militia continues with their push against the IMC, one Pilot and his Titan became one of the spearheads for the liberation of the Frontier. However, amidst the chaos, they were sucked into a world where magic and fantasy prevails. But it will not just be the duo who will be interested...
1. Prologue - Where the Moon Rises

_All trademarks, properties and copyrights associated with the manufacturers, models, trade names, entertainment and brands depicted in this fanfic are the property of their respective owners._

 **XXXXXXX**

The Frontier…

An area where the unknown and impossible mix. For some time, humanity has been exploring the vast uncharted territories while carrying out where some left off years before them. What new discoveries they found quickly turned into results that rewarded fame, fortune, opportunity, and sometimes a mix of both.

With these, and the growing issues in the original home called the Core Systems, the people migrated to these newly-discovered planets in the Frontier in search for solace and prosperity. For many, it seemed as though humanity has finally found something that would forever change their destiny for the better.

Alas, it was not to be…

War has been the concept that persisted throughout history. The Hundred Years' War, World War II, the Vietnam War, Operation Enduring Freedom - they are among the countless numbers of conflicts caused as a result of ambition and jealousy. Sometimes, idiocy played a role.

And now, the Frontier became the latest victim of fighting.

For the pursuit of their interests, and those of both their shareholders and consumers, an entity called the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation mobilized much of their forces in the Frontier to secure resources. Some of those continuing with their lives in the Frontier were met with forceful evictions from the corporation or, in some cases, death as they tried to protect their homes, whether thru peaceful means or not. And because of these incidents, the IMC were being viewed unfavorably within much of the Frontier.

For a while, the injustices continued. When it became clear that the megacorporation was not being thoughtful of the plight of the violated, enough was enough.

Thus, the Frontier Militia was born, and a civil war broke out within the Frontier.

For years, numerous planets suffered from destructive and damning battles between the two sides. Worse, those with fuel reserves were exploited by the IMC through fracking, which resulted in geological instability. People abandoned the affected planets, seeking to find refuge; however, some chose to not stand idly by and took up arms as an answer.

To some, simply taking a gun is not enough.

On the surface, machines called 'Titans' roamed the battlefield in search for targets. As with many inventions for society-building, it was weaponized to assist in the field. But a Titan has a partner to join hands for increased combat effectiveness; special people known as 'Pilots' man these now-converted death machines to take out enemies in areas where a Titan cannot fit with its chassis. Their increased combat skills, combined with excellence in the field of mobility and the assistance of the jump kit, made them just as dangerous.

These partnerships earned both fear, admiration and respect among the warring factions. It even aspired more people to become one and have their own Titan one day.

And so comes a story of one partnership that will help dictate the course of the war. However, joining it is a discovery that could rock the very foundation of the Frontier and commonly-accepted knowledge…

 **(New Florida)**

According to intelligence, the planet was believed to be hosting an IMC black site under command of the Archaeological Research Division or ARES. This particular area was located on the site of a recently discovered ruins of ancient alien architecture, built within a gentle cliff face on a mountain. Other than that, not much information was available at the time of the acquisition.

In order to deal with the threat, a combined force consisting of the 9th and 10th Militia fleets were deployed to handle the likely threat.

Hovever, they must thread the line carefully; more than a year before the operation, the Militia sent the 9th Fleet to the planet of Typhon to deal with the then-unknown device called the Fold Weapon, designed to destroy Militia-aligned planets and force them into capitulation. Upon their arrival, the IMC led them into an ambush, decimating most of the Militia combatants. Despite all odds, the operation was a success, and the weapon was destroyed, alongside the planet.

The lessons learned meant that the Militia was better prepared for any unexpected changes in enemy defenses. By that point, they had managed to break through the planetary defenses and the outer edges of the atmosphere at the cost of two starships.

Aerospacecraft consisting of various fighters and dropships began to populate the now-turbulent skies as anti-air fire from the ground bursted into life in the IMC's attempt to fend off the Militia. The former proceeded to perform an aggressive game of cat-and-mouse while maneuvering through other ships and cannon fire. With an opening, the able pilots opened fire; some missed while others managed to get a confirmed kill.

The Militia Titans began to drop from their assigned ships once the phrase, "standby for Titanfall!", was given out. As well, drop pods for the lowly grunts and Spectre robots joined the fray. Nevertheless, many made their descent and proceeded to begin their advance through the facility while trying to survive.

On a Vanguard-class Titan with the codename 'FX-2047' emblazoned on the top, a young and promising Pilot began to lead the grunts under his care while opening fire with its PR-01 Plasma Railgun at a small turret that just started retaliating against them.

"Take cover!" The Pilot shouted with his lungs. The Titan activated its Vortex Shield to catch the incoming projectile, giving the grunts time to stay clear. The latter hugged towards the nearby rock formations and prayed that they can move again with less worry.

Sure enough, the Shield sent the projectiles back toward the IMC site and the Titan opened fire at the turret. The hot round punctured through the rotating turret structure. Then, the railgun was aimed at the second one at its left with similar results.

Seconds later, both turrets were offline.

"Good sharpshooting, Pilot." The Titan praised the pilot in a feminine voice.

"Sergeant García, the turrets are down. You may proceed." The Pilot cleared the leader of the grunts to move.

"Copy, sir. We're moving out." The sergeant responded.

The group moved out of their cover and continued their advance. Suddenly, a stray missile was approaching.

"Warning: missile approaching from 3 o'clock." FX warned.

The Pilot quickly turned right and saw the missile heading toward them. Quickly, they used the Vortex Shield again and caught it to make them chart a course for a flight to the base. They turned left towards their target and sent the missile away.

Again, the group continued their advance.

Radio chatter continued emitting various confirmations and frantic responses based on the situation. Everyone can hear it as the fight slowly drew closer to the base.

Then, out came the IMC's Titans of various chassis designs. The fight became harder for the Militia ground units.

Three of them, consisting of a Brute, Ion and Ronin, began to approach FX and her Pilot upon being noticed. Their weapons were aimed at the Militia foe before they opened fire.

FX activated her Vortex Shield in an attempt to limit the damage. She and her Pilot were in trouble.

"García, hold position. We're taking enemy fire." The Pilot ordered.

The Ronin approached FX and unsheathed its samurai-styled broadsword. Carefully, the Titan performed a Phase Shift for an apparent sneak attack from behind.

"Pilot, your six." FX gave him a heads-up.

They then dashed sideways to the right and sent the captured projectiles away to the sky. The Ronin reappeared but failed to perform the attack, so it decided to try slashing the duo nevertheless. The first slash was missed when FX jumped back, followed by the second.

However, the Militia Titan chose to charge directly towards the Ronin. As it began to do the third slash, FX grabbed hold of the Ronin's hands, effectively binding them and rendering it unable to do anything except use its legs for a struggle.

That weakness was exploited. FX kicked the right knee joint to make the Ronin collapse on its side.

"Sir, that Ion's gonna laze you!" García forewarned frantically.

The Pilot and FX summoned their strength to move the Ronin toward the Laser Shot's line-of-fire. A small struggle occured, but in the nick of time, the Ronin was moved and given the damaging hit of a laser to the left side. A hole was made through the cockpit.

In the end, the Titan loosened its grip on the broadsword. It appeared that the laser killed the Ronin's Pilot and some of the computer systems, effectively severing all control.

The Ronin fell down and its sword was looted by FX.

"Enemy Titan down." The Titan confirmed. "Move on to the other two Titans."

"Gotcha." The Pilot agreed.

Using the sword to try bypassing the Vortex Shield, the duo began charging toward the next two IMC Titans. The IMC pair began to open fire with their weapons. As a result, FX began to take some damage despite using the dense properties of the broadsword as a blocking technique.

They approached the Ion at a quick pace. The Ion and Brute backed away in response while the former evaded the first slash from the broadsword. They opened fire again, damaging FX more at the middle of her chassis.

"Warning: detecting hull damage." She declared.

"Grrgh!" The Pilot grinded his teeth.

Again, they tried to slash the Ion while under fire. They quickly closed in on the Ion and extended the blade's reach. It finally became successful as it pierced the cockpit, albeit it missed its Pilot by mere inches. This did not bring the Ion down.

So instead, FX swinged her right leg on the Ion's, making it fall.

In consideration, the duo chose to focus on the Brute that continued to open fire. They armed their railgun and aimed it at the target's weakspot: the cockpit. Quickly, the Brute reacted by engaging its thrusters for flight after reloading. The next trigger pull fired a fast-moving rocket at the Militia duo, but they dashed left before opening fire.

The projectile, although it missed the Pilot, ruptured its fuel tanks. This caused the Titan to explode upon the fuel's ignition, resulting in its burning fall to the ground.

By the time the Ion got back on its feet and took out the impaling broadsword, it was greeted by a charged railgun of FX. The trigger pull put it and its Pilot out of its misery with a direct hit. It then fell to the ground defeated.

"Well done, Pilot. Our combat effectiveness rating has increased." FX congratulated.

"Whew." The Pilot sighed. "That's close."

"There are still enemy Titans within the AO. I suggest that we be careful."

"I know. I'm just a bit tired from the fight." He assured.

"No time for rest, Pilot Gutierrez. We must move."

"You just sounded like my mom." Gutierrez somewhat sarcastically responded. "Anyway…" He began to radio García on the update. "Sergeant, all Titans down. Clear to move in."

"Thanks for taking care of them, sir. We owe you two one." He thanked the duo.

"No problem."

The group began to move once more.

 **XXXXXXX**

At that point, the Militia made significant gains in the battle. Much of the IMC's defenses were in ruins, their air support weakend, and some of their experienced personnel were lost.

Some of the IMC Pilots disembarked to try impeding the Militia advance while on foot. Their formation and current position, however, left them little room for any risky maneuvers. Bravely, a last stand was underway: turrets were deployed and their remaining Titans were relocated to potential chokepoints, causing the Milita to sustain damage in tigher corridors of the complex.

"Contact, 800 meters!" A Militia soldier shouted before opening fire with his C.A.R. submachine gun. He returned to cover.

Near him, one soldier took a bullet to the chest while attempting to shoot. He fell to the ground dead.

"Dunn!" He shouted his fallen's name.

FX approached the soldiers position with her Vortex Shield up and running. It continued to collect more IMC ordnance before releasing them onto the targets.

"Move, move! Follow the Titan!" The soldier shouted an order to his surviving men. Carefully, they began to follow.

A Militia Hornet began its approach to the right of the complex for an attack run after a request for an airstrike was received. Its speed was lowered and so were its flaps for a more accurate and stable fire.

"Greyhound 3, moving to attack - danger close!" The pilot shouted on the radio to those who can hear him.

Gutierrez and FX backed away to allow the Hornet to do its job. As soon as the "Package away!" quote was shouted, two missiles were launched. It only took almost three seconds for them to hit their marks, effectively pushing the IMC defenders back. A screech echoed through the air as the craft made a fly-by over the Militia forces on the ground.

"Good effect on target, Greyhound." The Titan Pilot cofirmed the results.

"Roger. Be advised, I'm winchester at this time - bugging out." He began his flight back to the carrier. "Watch yourselves."

"Affirmative. We're moving in now."

The Milita breached the defenses and entered the inner perimeter. There was nothing left that stands in their way, except for a blast door in front of them. To make things challenging, it was built to withstand a lot of abuse from almost all sources.

"Pilot, our path has been blocked by a blast door. There should be a control interface nearby." FX suggested him to go on foot and open the door.

"Got it. I'll open the door." Gutierrez responded with affirmation. He got out of the Titan while carrying a V-47 Flatline assault rifle and began to proceed, but not before a Militia soldier called him.

"Sir, we'll remain here and keep the perimeter secure." He told Gutierrez.

"Roger that." He responded before beginning to move out.

"Be careful." It was one of the common well-wishes given to Pilots, despite their skills. And usually, the grunts were right to say it, especially since Gutierrez will be moving through hostile-controlled pathways to locate and hijack the door controls to allow his allies entry.

His weapon was set to arm, including his Hammond P2016 pistol. He approached a door on the left side of the path. Right beside it, a panel was already destroyed by the IMC in an effort to prevent further advances by the Militia.

Unfortunately, it will not last.

"FX, got a jammed door here." Gutierrez confirmed.

"Roger, stand back." FX armed her railgun and charged it. After a few seconds, the trigger was pulled and a hole just big enough for entry was made. "Be advised - multiple enemy contacts ahead."

"Copy." The Pilot grabbed hold of his fragmentation grenade and pulled the safety pin. Carefully, he calculated and prayed for any kills. "Frag out!"

The grenade was thrown through the hole with some high velocity. The scratching could barely be heard.

Then, an explosion came. Shouting of low intensity could be heard. The Pilot took no chances and entered the hole.

In front of him, blood began to form puddles from the t-intersection. Then, an IMC grunt popped out from the right intersection and attempted to open fire. The Pilot shot him with a hail of bullets through his exposed top section. He fell down as a confirmed kill.

Gutierrez quickly reloaded his weapon and cautiously took cover behind the inside corner. A little peek confirmed more defenders: three Stalker mechanized infantry armed with L-STAR direct energy weapons on their right hands. They opened fire, only to graze the surface of the corner the Pilot was hiding behind. He quickly returned to cover and armed a second grenade.

He threw it in a deflected angle - using the walls to create a curved flight path. The grenade landed directly on the Stalkers and exploded. Despite that, the Stalkers remained functional, and many Combat Pilots knew how tough they were built for the purpose of taking the latter down.

The Pilot waited with his Flatline ready. It took half a minute for the first Stalker to appear, after which it was opened fire upon through its volatile battery pack. The damage made it glow, and a hiss accompanied it.

It was a sign that the Stalker was about to blow up.

Gutierrez stood clear just far enough to see the Stalker blow up into thousands of pieces, a few of which being its limbs. The Pilot decided to wait and contact FX for any remaining forces in front of him.

"FX, any other forces in front of me?"

"Negative, you are in the clear." His Titan confirmed via scanning.

"Thanks. How's your sector?" He asked back.

"No significant changes in the situation on my end. You can continue."

"Rog."

Gutierrez proceeded to move out again.

 **XXXXXXX**

For the most part of the journey, not a lot of IMC forces remained on sight and they were wiped out quite easily. It was just smooth sailing for Gutierrez.

He approached the door leading to the control room, which was apparenty closed shut. Remembering his training, he was not stupid to just breach inside and be shot at by any prepared IMC soldiers. He decided to go to the crate where early on, he found three bags of satchel charges. Each were placed in a line that follows the gaps between the doors.

Gutierrez quickly ran and took cover before detonating the charge. The loud noise felt deafening but it was normal for him like the other combatants. The pressure waves bent and finally broke open the door with brute force. As a precaution, a third frag grenade was thrown into the opening to clear out any hiding IMC grunts.

An explosion echoed through the halls. Strangely, not a single cry from an enemy soldier was heard. It baffled Gutierrez, though he decided to wait.

A radio transmission was picked up. "This is the Alexandria. we are picking up unknown energy signatures coming from the middle of the facility." The captain uttered with a worried expression; however, the transmission contained static due to the deph of the facility.

With the same expression, the Pilot began to respond. "This is First Lieutenant Gutierrez, are you sure about this, sir?"

"Affirmative. We have no information about this anomaly at this time. Proceed with caution, over."

"Affirmative, moving with caution."

Even his Titan began to pick up the strange signature.

"Pilot, I am picking up unknown energy signatures coming from behind the door. Be careful."

"Got it. You do the same." Her Pilot responded.

"Copy that, Pilot."

A fourth frag was being prepared for throwing. As he popped out of the corner to throw, the IMC soldiers guarding the room began to aim for him. A split second later, they opened fire; however, the Pilot retreated just in time.

The ordnance landed near the soldiers.

"Grenade!" One IMC grunt shouted in terror before his peers attempted to flee for safety.

A detonation rocked the room. The Pilot with his sidearm drawn closed in with caution, and his eyes were wide open for a wide visual scan. When he entered, one soldier popped out, but he was shot two times to the chest. The next met the same fate with one through the head. And another hiding behind the wall attempted to melee Gutierrez from behind with his knife, but his footsteps were immediately heard and his arms were blocked.

He was kicked, and Gutierrez, with no mercy, shot him through the stomach. Blood began to spill out.

"Control room clear, FX!" The Pilot confirmed before reloading. "Moving in to open the doors."

To his dismay, the panels were locked out on purpose by the now-deceased IMC grunts.

"Damn."

He reached out for his Data Knife. A common weapon for Pilots, it grants them the ability to hack a wide variety of electronics, provided that the blade was compatible with the connector slot. Fortunately, it was just enough for him to slide in the blade and its delicate built-in circuitry. A moment was spent breaking the panel's protocols.

It was a success. The door was about to open for FX and the Militia grunts.

A rude welcoming party, however, was waiting for them.

Halfway through the procedure, standing in front of them was a gunmetal-colored Ronin chassis and a detatchment of IMC foot units supporting it from behind. What is more unusual was a hollow device glowing in a whitish-blue aura of light: it was the apparent source of the energy signatures.

"Militia Titan spotted, moving in." The Ronin Pilot declared. "Otus 1-1, clear to engage the Militia infantry, over."

"Otus 1-1, roger that." The grunt commander responded. "Light 'em up!"

As the grunts opened fire, the Ronin dashed toward FX with its katana-like broadsword unsheathed. The Vanguard became defensive and so were the accompanying Militia grunts. A clash of swords was well underway.

"Pilot, I need your assistance. We are facing stiff enemy resistance." FX requested help.

"I'm on my way, buddy." Gutierrez started to rush to help.

The Militia forces slowly began to take a significant pounding from the IMC defenders, and the ominous device continued with what it was doing. FX gripped the sword's handle for dear life, even though one of her protocols meant sacrificing herself for the safety of her Pilot, while the Ronin continued to push her back with the brute force of its blade.

When the Pilot returned, he saw the ongoing fight as well as the device. He was startled by both of these sights.

"What the hell is that?" He was referring to the latter.

"Pilot, recommend that we take out all hostiles within the chamber. I'll hold off the Titan." FX recommended. Gutierrez complied in return.

As his buddy continued to hold her ground, the Pilot began to return fire by throwing a Gravity Star that he encountered early on at the nearest IMC position. Its pull began to draw three unfortunate grunts into its sphere of infuence.

After five seconds, the field was converted into explosive force. The grunts that were caught in the sphere of influence were thrown out towards the walls with brute force, but there was no time for the others to confirm their injuries or deaths.

The Pilot popped out of cover and opened fire with his assault rifle at the grunts. He quickly ducked afterwards.

Just as the Titan swordfight was approaching the four-minute mark, the Titans backed away from each other while thinking of any potential moves their opponent could use. Then they began to charge directly at each other. The latest clash resulted in a locking of blades.

"Why you bastard…!?" The Ronin Pilot cursed his opponent.

The Vangaurd lowered his sword and pushed him and his Titan back hard. They were laid on the ground but they got up again before FX was close to land another blow. A Phase Dash was performed to escape and they reemerged a few meter away from behind her.

Just before FX can fight back, the Ronin lined up its sword and sent an Arc Wave towards her. The energy streamed through her systems just enough for the IMC Titan to land a punch.

Gutierrez, after taking care of most of the enemy forces, saw his Titan in a losing position.

"FX!" He bawled.

Then, he saw a Charge Rifle laid near him. Carefully, he aimed at the back of the Ronin. Upon pressing the trigger, it was building up energy at a quick pace, unlike its original function to slowly build it up and deal more damage as a result of the procedure.

The moderate beam of energy hit the Ronin in the left main thruster. Fire began to break out as a result of the hit.

"Warning: enemy Pilot attacking." The OS alerted the Pilot.

He backed up his Titan with a dash and his targeting systems found Gutierrez attempting another shot. Then, FX began charging towards him. A crashing sound was made as the melee continued.

"Pilot, steal the Titan's battery. Let's finish this." FX encouraged.

Gutierrez began to run towards the Titans. Mantling through the sudden drop in altitude, he landed on the ground and made a run for it.

It was then he jumped toward his Titan and made another on the Ronin, ready to steal his opponent's battery that serves as a power source. The landing did not go unnoticed.

"Warning: enemy Pilot on hull." The Ronin OS confirmed.

The Pilot had an idea: he chose to send most of its power to the thrusters.

"How would you like _this_?!" He defiantly uttered.

He backed away for a moment and suddenly began to push FX with the thrusters now receiving more power to move the Ronin faster. The Militia Titan was being inched closer to the mysterious device. Gutierrez was jolted by the move as well.

"Pilot, I'm being pushed! Steal the battery!" She pleaded.

Feet by feet, FX was being pushed with little resistance and Gutierrez struggled to climb back to the battery as the impact left him hanging on to the back of the Ronin. The ever-intensifying surge of energy began to slowly engulf the Combatants until…

...the Ronin and its Pilot sacrificed themselves to send their opponents inside the device.

 **XXXXXXX**

Under a starry sky, the gentle winds made the blades of grass swing to the rhythm. For many, this would serve as a place to socialize over at a campfire, to observe the stars or to just relax plainly with the rewarding sights and the relatively peaceful atmosphere.

A portal, however, does not fit with the equation.

Out of it came the two Titans, all damaged significantly, and Gutierrez who managed to return to the top of the Ronin to try stealing the battery. Specialized smoke came out from the IMC combatant, ready to charge it up to kill him and electrocute his Vanguard.

"Pilot, stay back!"

"I know!" Gutierrez stubbornly shouted back.

The battery was loose and the Pilot began to jump clear with it. Electrical energy, however, caught up to him and he was bombarded with it. His body was slowly being stunned.

"Aggggaaaaaaaaahhhh!" He groaned in pain before crash-landing just far enough to the safe zone. The battery detached from his hands and began to roll freely. "Oof!"

The Ronin, however, was robbed of its ability to fight once the power was drained to the point where the Titan will stay immobile.

"Warning: all systems inoperable… Warning: all systems inoperable…" The OS nonchalantly uttered just as red emergency lighting replaced the slightly more colorful ones emitting from the screens.

"Oh, fu-" As the Pilot was about to finish with his curse, FX pushed the Ronin back and sent it towards the ground. The impact jolted the Pilot's body from behind. "Aggggkkk!"

Suddenly, the cockpit was forcibly opened by the Militia Titan and she grabbed him with her left hand. She brought him closer for a close encounter.

All the IMC Pilot could do was either plead for mercy or, in a way the IMC does best, defiantly call her and the rest of the Militia "bloody scum," among other derogatory phrases and words. He pointed his eyes at the Titan's data core.

"Aggh...da-damn you… Militia bastards!" He picked the latter.

FX, in return, smashed him down directly towards the ground. Only silence came as the Pilot was killed by the brute force the Militia Titan exerted in performing the execution. His Titan's broadsword was looted.

The battle was concluded. The only thing left to do was cross the portal and rendezvous with the remaining Militia forces for extraction.

FX first approached Gutierrez to check on his condition. "Pilot, are you alright?"

"Mnnnnggh…" He moaned as he was about to stand up. "...The smoke got me…"

"Then, we must hurry back right now." FX grabbed her Pilot and placed him back on his cockpit.

The group began their return back to the other side. Although they were beaten up extensively, they were not enough to take them out entirely. The former's legs were still in good operating capability.

Alas...after making it, the portal suddenly disappeared. Their only path to escape was gone. No one heard an order on any bombardment on the site.

"Nooo...unnnggghh!" Gutierrez cried out before pain forced him to stop. FX stopped immediately after.

It was believed that a scuttling of the base was deliberately done by the surviving IMC soldiers in order to keep the secrets of the device hidden from the Militia.

 **XXXXXXX**

The Militia forces witnessed the site being destroyed without an order to do so. Smoke began to billow out of the site just as the fighting was subsiding. Many of the Militia did not expect that to happen, and some quickly concluded that the IMC scuttled it on purpose.

One thing was missing: Gutierrez, alongside his Titan, did not send out any more radio transmissions. Some were worried about them after all they had been through.

"Ma'am... Gutierrez and FX-2047 are not sending out any further transmissions. Not even responses." An officer onboard the MCS _New Alexandria_ informed the commander in-charge of the operation.

"What?" The commander felt shocked by the news. "Gutierrez never responded?"

"I'm afraid so, ma'am. I think we have to consider him and his Titan KIA."

Saddened, she chose to accept the loss and bow in mourning. For a while before the operation, she had high hopes for the young, talented Pilot.

" _Miller Gutierrez, FX-2047, your sacrifices will not be in vain."_ She silently honored their actions.

 **XXXXXXX**

The Titan felt a sense of failure in bringing herself and, more importantly, her Pilot home to safety and care.

"Pilot...I failed you." She apologized. "I have failed in upholding Protocol 3."

Gutierrez, in spite of the situation, dismissed the negatives. He gave out a slight smile and a compensating sigh before opening the viewport to reveal his young-looking face. "It's alright. At the very least... I'll get the chance to see the stars peacefully."

"Aren't you concerned?"

"Not much. I just hope that we could find a settlement soon."

"Understood. I, too, hope so...for your sake." The Titan affirmed.

Then, curiously, multiple unknown contacts were detected approaching their position. There were no signs of IMC or Militia ID codes, suggesting that animals or hopefully civilians are present.

"Pilot, I have detected multiple unknown contacts. Moving to investigate." FX informed before proceeding.

The Titan gradually went closer to the source of the contacts. Without making any sudden movements, she walked calmly in order to present herself as an easily negotiable player.

When she approached it, an odd sight was recorded.

In front of them, a group of horses clad in medieval-like barding covered much of their bodies to serve as protection against threats like arrows that could kill them. They even have insignias engraved below the necks of the animals.

But the most unusual of all were the riders themselves: most of them were young girls in their late teen years with a few older males present. All wear armor that are considered just as equally medieval as the ones for the horses. Aside from that and despite the darkness clouding everyone, their appearances were beautiful enough to be recognized, albeit barely for the time being.

The leader of the group was the stand-out. Unlike the others, the young girl wore a different set of armor, one which was a bit more revealing enough to slightly show her cleavage. Her red hair and matching eyes were diluted by the darkness, thought the group seemed to have little issues with these.

FX was surprised by these anomalies. To make things even stranger, their lances were unsheathed and threateningly pointing at her.

"Pilot, we are being threatened by knights on horseback."

"Wait… 'knights on horseback?'" The Pilot was confused about it at first since his head was lowered just before his Titan reported the sighting. He raised it and was genuinely both convinced and surprise. "Holy hell…!"

 **XXXXXXX**

For the Imperial Princess Piña Co Lada's Order of the Rose, the sight of a beast was both surprising and unexpected.

What was once an exercise to test their abilities was grinded to a halt, and now a potential threat was standing in front of the group. Strangely, the beast did not make any defensive moves to try saving itself. The noises it continued to make were even more imposing, though they sounded like the beast was trying to communicate. So much so that the horses were jolted as a result.

Nevertheless, the Order had no other options but to draw their lances for a possible fight.

Then, the beast unexpectedly began to run away from the fight. This left the knights dumbfounded. The horses jolted again.

"Whoah!" A knight near the princess quickly calmed down her horse.

"After it!" The princess quickly ordered her order. "Don't let it get away."

The horses began to prance with haste, leaving hoofprints in its wake. The knights kept eyes on the beast as they slowly began to make gains. Again, there were no responses from it.

One knight, in her belief of strengthening her family's honor, began to push ahead from the pack and was the closest towards the beast. Her short silver hair continued to shake and swing as a testament to her speed. Piña was familiar with her ability since their training during their early years.

"Panache!" The princess cried out her knight's name.

"I'm going to try something!" She replied back.

The knight slowly closed in on the beast. She prepared her lance for contact via the spike in an attempt to hurt it.

Then, much to her surprise, the legs of the beast were metallic as if it was wearing armor.

"No way!"

As it this oddity was not enough, it began to move faster than the Order's horses and its legs caused an unexpected increase of dust, causing an irritation once the dust clouds engulfed the group. Panache and her horse were the first to feel the effect, forcing the former to slow down and shield her face.

The group slowed down altogether as they began to reel from the surprise move. All began to wonder about what the beast could do.

"That's not possible!" The silver-haired knight uttered.

Piña approached her. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, milady. Just got some dust on me." Panache briefly swept her armor with her arms and hands to remove most of the dirt.

 **XXXXXXX**

The duo made some distance between them and the group. FX briefly turned back to see the latter stopped.

"What do you think, buddy?" Gutierrez asked.

"It appears that we have scared them to stop; nevertheless, keep moving." His Titan responded.

For a moment, they may have a chance to outlast them in terms of stamina since FX is a mechanical being that only needs batteries to keep herself running. And so, they took it...

...until two unknown contacts began approaching them. It looked like one of the knights decided to give chase.

But that was nothing compared to the next one: another contact was confirmed approaching their position at a fast speed. FX analyzed the properties until she stumbled upon one important detail: it was an IMC aerospacecraft.

"Pilot, I have detected an IMC contact approaching our position. Prepare for combat." FX informed.

"What?!" Gutierrez was caught off-guard. "IMC?"

Turning to the direction of the enemy's travel, FX confirmed that a Phantom fighter was spotted.

"That's no good. If the knights are caught in the crossfire, we're talking about humiliation."

"Casualties, Pilot." The Titan corrected. "Although, your concern for them is reasonable."

The duo began to grab hold of their plasma railgun, roughed up but still functional. There was one problem: they were down to their last magazine, and as well, they have only three missiles to make do with. They will need to make them count.

"Give me a lock on that thing, buddy." The Pilot requested.

"Affirmative."

 **XXXXXXX**

Panache began to close in on the creature upon seeing it stop. An opportunity presented itself.

Suddenly, an orange glow came out from it and a moment later, a loud boom was emitted. The knight and her horse were startled, stopping them in their tracks again.

"What the hell?!" She uttered.

Even more shocking, an ominous sound was approaching their position. Seconds later, magical projectiles flew past the creature before it retaliated with its own. Explosions and the resulting smoke surrounded the walking beast.

A dark creature flew past the giant with an unusual roaring sound that eclipsed those made by the dragons of the land. Its exact appearance cannot be described in detail thanks to the dark.

As a precaution, she remained at her position.

 **XXXXXXX**

The Phantom began to make one more pass before making a return trip to its base, wherever it was. This was the opportunity the Militia duo must do it right, or the situation would worsen in the long run.

Their railgun was down to its last projectile. Their missiles were down to one.

"Ready…"

Slowly, they kept their eyes on the bandit as it approached them. The Phanton opened fire one last time and FX dashed backwards to evade.

Then, the moment came.

The fully-charged projectile was released and began to zip through the air just as the Phantom began to break off. It struck the bottom of the fuselage, ripping it apart with a hole and causing a fire to break out.

Control was lost for the aircraft and the Phantom made a short roll before crash-landing. An explosion immediately followed. All it remained was a grave of twisted metal that began to burn for as long as the remaining flammable fuel and surrounding organic materials feed it.

"Enemy bandit down." FX confirmed the kill.

Gutierrez panted as he processed the situation. He then slowly normalized his breathing.

"That takes care of that." He muttered.

"However, we still have local contacts on our eight o'clock." The Titan reminded. The Pilot turned to see the knight and her horse standing idly.

Gutierrez began to think of options.

" _What the hell should I do?_ "

 **XXXXXXX**

The White Rose and her horse remained still as they watched the scene unfold before their eyes. The creature began to approach them. As it closed in, Panache raised her lance again in combat posture. Even the rest of the Order began to regroup with the third-in-command.

For a while, all she could do was stand-by for any sudden changes. Then, the creature stopped a dozen footsteps away.

Before calm began to return, it was scared away by the noises the creature made. The knight stood back and kept her weapon in place.

As if they were not enough, the creature's body began to open revealing the "innards" illuminated in unusual blue lighting. What came out of it was even more so: a young man dressed in unusual armor and his head covered in a different helmet. On the helmet, it displayed a symbol of a creature on the left and white writing on the right.

He slowly approached Panache. The knight was having trouble thinking on what to do with him and the creature.

"Who are you?" She demanded a response.

Then, the stranger fell to the ground.

"Ah!?" She jumped off her horse to rush for the stranger's aid. "Are you okay? C'mon, get up!"

He did not respond. He remained montionless.

"Panache!" Piña shouted as the rest of the Order arrived. They began to form a defensive barrier between the knight and the creature. The princess dismounted after seeing the man being apparently unconscious. "Who is he?"

"He came from that creature." Panache responded with an answer. "He needs help."

"He "came" from that creature?" The princess was startled by the observation.

"I don't know, Princess. They didn't do anything aggressive until now." It was all the White Rose could say.

Piña was now fed with more questions than answers.

The creature approached the knights without any apparent signs of hostilities. The latter continued to resist the attempt.

"Hold your line, everyone!" A knight with blonde hair encouraged.

"Wait!" The princess shouted with authority.

The rest turned their heads toward Piña and uttered a surprised "huh!" The latter, alongside Panache carrying the stranger, began to head for the creature to offer peace. The knights were being torn by the move.

The three stopped just a few feet away from the creature, athough Piña moved slightly further to be the one negotiating.

"If you can hear us, we have your friend. He's hurt." She told it. Panache, for her part, displayed the stranger to strengthen the case. "We'll bring him to the Imperial capital of Sadera for healing. I promise that we will not hurt you in return if you come with us."

For a moment, it did not respond. The knights remained tense throughout.

Then, a bow was made. To Piña, it seemed that it submitted to her proposal.

"Thank you." She gratefully replied before turning toward her Order. "My fellow Rose Order, it has agreed to submit to us. We are going to return the stranger as well to the capital."

'But Your Highness…!" The blonde knight began to protest.

"That's enough, Bozes!" Piña shot her down with a chide. The knight was forced to concede.

For the Order of the Rose, a new burden began to challenge her starting from caring the stranger to full health. The creature will play a role in the equation that will determine their fate.

 **XXXXXX**

 _ **A/N: After further consideration, a remake will be done but it will keep the same basic premise of a stranded Pilot and Titan duo, growing IMC interests in the Special Region, and Titan varieties. Apologies.**_

 _ **And for those who are hating on EA thanks to**_ **Battlefront II** _ **, please don't blindly put Respawn in the same bind and spare a thought for them after giving us the gift of free updates. Thanks.**_

 _ **Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone.**_


	2. Chapter 1 - A Pilot in the Empire

"Ummmmgghhh... What happened…?"

It was the first thing Gutierrez said as he tussled his eyes to open them. He rose up from his slumber and scratched his head. Suddenly a big pain in his head erupted, causing him to utter out a "mnnngh!" He immediately placed his head in response just as the headache began to subside.

" _...that's one big headache. I wonder what was I…"_

Then, he stopped rubbing his head upon noticing something different.

"Huh?" What he saw made him widely open his eyes in surprise. For one, he was resting inside a tent. "What the…?"

As well, he can hear people talking and some footsteps making contact against the ground. His nose was lightly touched by the smell of smoke floating nearby.

Gutierrez raised himself up and turned in both directions to confirm the situation. The tent he was in was quite small, but a quick check made him assume it was meant for a person. He then found his Flatline, scabbard-clad Data Knife, and helmet lying on the left side. He stashed the rifle on his back, placed his knife on his right, and donned his helmet, ready to go outside for further investigation.

The moment he stepped foot ouside the tent, a fresh odd sight was revealed to him.

On a dawn-lit sky, numerous tents lined up in front of the Pilot's view as the knights, mostly female, continued with their duties. Some were guarding the area while others began preparations for elsewhere, and a few were chatting about some topics. The few stopped with whatever they were doing upon ensnaring him into their sights and began to watch him closely.

Whatever the case, it bewildered him to the point of questioning whether or not it was a dream.

"Hey, you there…" A voice called out to Gutierrez. He turned to see her, the same silver-haired and jade-eyed girl he had met early on. Surprisingly, he can understand her perfectly. He took off his helmet for a better presentation.

"It's you." He uttered with the same language. The girl approached him.

"Looks like you recovered." A slight sigh of relief was made, though the Pilot found some hint of surprise through her eyes. "How's your body?"

Although he can still feel the residual pain as a result of the IMC Ronin's electric smoke, he was still staying strong. "I'll be fine, ma'am. Nothing to worry about me."

"Good." She began to walk away from him. "We have breakfast waiting for you if you need. Just follow me."

"Thank you very much." He accepted and began to follow her.

"You're welcome." In curiosity, she began to roll out a question for the Pilot. "So, hey… why were you not fighting back for your safety when we first met under hostile terms?"

"We have no intention of harming you." He professed. "We just wanted to go home."

"What happened? Are you two lost?"

"Well… As we were about to finish a battle, we were brought here forcibly by our enemies via a portal." He was referring to the ARES base in New Florida, where the mysterious device was found, though the girl was unaware of the details.

"A portal?" She was surprised. "No way…!"

"Yes. Unfortunately, we can't go back as it was closed at the last moment, and we don't know where we are now. Mind if you can tell me?"

"We are in the camp of the Order of the Rose near Luceria, a small town."

"'Order of the Rose…' 'Luceria…'" He murmered the names.

"Where do you come from?" She asked.

"Harmony." An answer was quickly given.

"'Harmony?'" The girl was left wondering. "Is that a name of your nation?"

"Not really a nation… but I can't explain it for you to easily understand."

The girl decided to accepted his difficulty. "I understand." At that point, she decided to introduce herself. "By the way, let us introduce ourselves. I'm Panache Fure Kalgi, daughter of Baron Kalgi."

With some calm returning, he followed. "And I'm Miller Gutierrez."

""Mill-ler… Goo-tiya-rays?"" She was perplexed by his name. "That's an odd name."

"Just call me 'Miller.'" He offered her an easier way of calling out to him.

"Okay, I'll accept." With the introduction smoothly finished, the two resumed their way towards a warm meal.

For the Pilot, not all of his troubles went away. He remembered the Phantom that attacked him and FX early on, so he cannot afford to let their guard down.

 **XXXXXXX**

The food where Panache and Miller will be getting was located on a tent-covered mess hall a few dozen footsteps away. The atmosphere there was filled with talking from some of the early birds in an effort to try making their time less boring. The fire that continued to heat the large suspended pot full of simple porridge was under constant monitoring, and the smoke was directed away towards the open air.

When the two approached the perimeter, some of the other girls stopped with whatever action they were doing and turned their eye towards the Pilot in curiosity. They exchanged whisphers with some questions about him.

Miller surveyed the situation. To them, he was considered an unusual outsider within their camp.

The two approached the heated pot. Panache requested the one in charge two bowls of porridge and two spoons for Miller and herself. The latter then offered him the share.

"Here. It's not much, but it should suffice." She nonchalantly said.

"Thanks." He accpeted with no delay.

A vacant spot was found within a long table. The two took their seats opposite to each other and the consumption began. Panache took a spoonful of the porridge and swallowed it without any fuss. Miller, for his part, took a glare of the piping hot meal and did the same action the girl did.

When the contents touched his tongue, something different was felt. With his taste buds being used to the usually-bland rations the Militia constantly gave out to their combatants like him, the soft taste of the porridge was a welcome change of pace. He slightly hummed in delight from the meal.

Panache took notice of his slight change of mood. "Hmmm... ? You look better already."

"This one tastes quite better compared to the rations I ate before."

"Really?" She was surprised by his response. "But this porridge _is_ our rations. Maybe you ate something quite different before you came here."

"Yeah, you're right." The Pilot chuckled.

"It reminds me of one time during our training to become knights. When we were first introduced to military rations, we thought it would be a pleasant meal. We were wrong when we first tasted it for the first time." She offered her memory of her training to him. "Everyone, except for our instructor, spit it out."

"Was it really that bad?" He wondered

"It more or less tasted like the feed for horses. Not really good for a taste of a noble like me." She paused for a moment. "Speaking of which, everyone here is a noble, so be on your best behaviour. And, you must call me Lady Panache at all times."

He gave out a nod.

Just as bliss began to take hold of the situation, his helmet visor repeatedly began to glow bright blue to indicate he has received an incoming transmission. Unintentionally, the nearby occupants of the hall shrieked in fear upon seeing the helmet. Panache drew out her sword in self-defense.

"What's happening to his helmet?!" One of the knights uttered.

"It looks like it's possessed by some spirit!" Another beside her followed.

Many drew out their swords as well.

When Panache noticed the helmet, she mantled through the table, causing the porridge to spill out from the now-turned bowls. Without any knowledge of the helmet's basic functions, she snatched the helmet away.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" He cried out.

"What am I doing?!" The girl rebuffed and displayed the helmet, though her hands began to shake slightly. "Your helmet might be possessed by some supernatural force! We don't know what would happen next."

"Look, it's harmless. It means I need to use it."

Then, a voice came out of the helmet. _"Pilot, do you read me?"_

Panache dropped it in terror upon hearing it. "Aaahhh!"

With this chance opened, Miller quickly took the helmet back and backed off. He held it defensively. "Everyone, just trust me on this. I promise this will not bring out any trouble." He assured.

The girls were quite doubtful.

"You sure it won't do any harm?"

"Yes, Lady Panache. Now, if you would excuse me…"

With the knights speechless, he quietly exited the hall. He found a spot behind a tree where he could privately answer to FX. He donned his helmet.

"FX, can you read me?"

"I can hear you, Pilot." His Titan appeared from the far right side and began approaching him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He affirmed while removing his helmet. "I was about to enjoy some good breakfast until your transmission scared a lot of girls to thinking it was possessed. They even raised their swords against it."

"My apologies." She apologized. "I was attempting to check on your condition until you came here."

"That's okay, FX." He accepted, knowing that his Titan was looking out for him.

With the issue out of the way, the duo can proceed to more pressing concerns. "Now, on to more pressing matters in regards to your loss of consciousness two hours, fifty-seven minutes, and four seconds ago. Eleven seconds before you were rendered into that state, I had detected an unknown energy signature concentrating over your body."

"Unknown energy signature…? Anything usual about it?"

"Unknown. I have no possible conclusion as to how it got to you. Even I was affected by such shortly after our arrival to this camp."

With that piece of information, the Pilot decided to link up the incident with his newfound ability. "So that would explain why I can understand Panache and the others right now." He whisphered.

"What is that, Pilot?"

"Just a moment ago, I heard someone talking to me in a different language. I can fully understand what she said."

The Titan began to take notice of this ability. "Interesting. Then, I believe we can use this to our advantage."

"If only they would stay calm whenever you are around, FX." Miller felt worried about the prospects of his Titan talking before a crowd of medieval-looking people like Panache and the others. "I'm starting to think that we are in a fantasy land like those fairy tales my parents read to me back when I was a kid."

"That's an assumption we cannot simply prove, Pilot." FX was skeptical of the idea. "I advise caution until we have further information."

Then...

"Hey!" It was Panache's voice. She was calling out to him. "Miller!" The duo turned to see her and, interestingly, the redhead.

Quickly, he turned to his Titan. "FX, don't say anything, even a response." A request was quietly made. His Titan agreed.

The girls approached the duo.

"What are you doing here? My knight here told me your helmet caused a commotion within our dining area." The redhead asked him.

"I was talking to my Titan, ma'am."

"A 'Titan?'" She was bewildered, alongside her ally, and set her eyes at FX. "That creature?"

"Yes, ma'am." Miller answered dutifully.

"And what about the helmet?" Panache followed up.

"Well, my Titan is the reason my helmet lit up surprisingly. It was trying to contact me." He paused as regret took over.

The girls were confused about his answer. "Huh?"

"Listen, I'm sorry. We didn't mean to scare you. We are just trying to survive since our arrival in this land."

"What do you mean, young sir?" The redhead requested a reason.

"Your Majesty, if I may... they were sent here forcefully by their enemies via a portal during their last battle." Panache stepped in to inform her superior.

"' _Your Majesty…"_ The Pilot thought after hearing the title. _"What the…?"_

"A portal?" The royal was surprised. They returned their sights towards Miller. "Is this true?"

"Yes, ma'am. We just wanted to go home, that's all. And we have no reason to fight you."

The girl finally understood what the duo had been through from their arrival.

"Alright. If that's the case, we'll try helping you two out until you can find your way home." The royal offered her support. "We were supposed to bring you to the Imperial capital of Sadera for your recovery by now..."

"Wait, Sadera…?" The Pilot wondered. "Never heard of it."

"You don't know?"

"No, ma'am…" He admitted honestly.

"Your Majesty!" Another female voice echoed in urgence towards the group. Everyone turned to see a beautiful girl with blonde hair and ringlets runninng towards the group, alongside an older man in more basic armor following behind. "A messenger sent from Sadera has arrived to see you."

The royal turned to see the messenger approaching. Afterwards, he kneeled down in respect.

"I have brought a message from the captial: His Majesty the Emperor requests the presence of the Order of the Rose right away." He delivered news of great importance.

"What is going on, soldier?" She requested.

"An unknown army has landed near the lands of Knappnai. Our forces there have lost control in just one day."

The royal was surprised at how "Knappnai" fell in a short amount of time. "Are you certain this is true?"

"Certainly, Your Majesty."

"Understood. Report back to my father that we are on our way to the capital without haste." The soldier was dismissed.

"Yes, Your Majesty." He dutifully responded before standing up. When he did, he can see FX standing calmly. Her "eye" unintentionally began to build up fear within the soldier. "Uhhh…"

Miller scrambled to allay his fears. "Uh, do not be afraid. It won't hurt you."

"Is that yours, young man?"

"Yes. I always make sure it doesn't do anything stupid." Although a bit careless, it was the only answer he could think of.

"Oh…" The soldier's heartbeat began to return to normal levels before walking away, though he still had some concerns about the Titan. "Just try not to make it stare at me or anyone else for a while. It almost scared me for a moment."

With a mission at hand, the royal formulated an order for her two allies. "Bozes, Panache. Inform the order that we are moving out shortly."

"Yes, milady." Panache complied. The knight, alongside Bozes, left to relay the order.

"You two, I'll bring you to Sadera." She turned her attention to the duo. "You'll know what's there."

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty." Miller gratefully replied.

"By the way, before we forget… I am the Third Imperial Princess Piña Co Lada." The redhead introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you, young man."

The Pilot paused to process what she said. He began to introduce himself afterwards. "I'm Miller Gutierrez... from the land of Harmony."

"'Harmony?'" Piña was slightly bewildered by the name. "That's a weird name for your nation."

"Yeah, the name is not entirely accurate of what's going on there."

"I hope so." The princess left to prepare for the journey.

When she left, Miller let out a sigh and began struggling to keep his chuckling in check. To simply name someone after a drink that was not even invented until the 20th century was very silly, to say the least. It almost felt like to the Pilot her parents were drunk at the time of her birth, and that those close to the Imperial Family might have no choice but to comply with the order even though it was supposed to be a request for drinks.

" _Piña_ Co Lada _…? This place is getting weird by the minute…"_ He thought.

"Pilot, I advise that you maintain your courtesy while near the presence of the princess or any other members of the Imperial Family. Any unnecessary actions may be treated as an act of disrespect or aggression against them." FX warned him once the coast was clear.

"I will, FX. Not going to happen." Miller promised.

If what the messenger said were to be true, and based on the Phantom that appeared that night, he feared that an IMC invasion was already underway.

 **XXXXXXX**

By the time the sun fully rose above their heads, the duo and the Order were on their way to Sadera. The galloping of the horses' hooves and the stumping of FX's feet pounded the simple dirt road with little mercy. Thankfully for the Militia combatants, no one outside the group were watching them until their eventual arrival at a nearby settlement.

From what Panache had told him, Sadera was the capital of the entity known as the Empire. A nation of greats, they are a force to be reckoned with in the land known as Falmart, boasting a large swath of territory, a mighty military force, and a strong economy. Aside from those, they even excel in field of architecture and arts that leave a lasting impression form people near and far. No nation, at least according to her, would dare best them.

There were some changes to the Pilot and Titan's routine. For FX, talking near or within the local population was reduced unless under typical combat situations. She will send messages to Miller's helmet as a means of communication until no local is within a certain hearing radius of her voice.

As for the Pilot, under FX's recommendation, he was to remain outside the cockpit to reduce any suspicions of his potential absence, especially when he will be piloting his Titan. On the bright side, he was sitting above the chassis, giving him an opportunity to quietly scan the landscape for any potential places of interest.

Hours later and close to sunset, the group arrived near the tall perimeter wall of the city. For every few meters, there were defensive towers built to hold stationary weaponry and to accomodate ranged infantry and spotters. Miller witnessed in awe the construction.

"Man, that's a big wall." He commented before jumping off the chassis to solid ground.

A while ago, Piña sent one of her knights to inform the defenders of the group's arrival, especially the Militia combatants'. It took a while for her to let them process the report, but things became less complicated once approval was given. She returned to her leader.

"Milady, the guards can allow the strangers' entry." The news was relayed.

"Good work, Nikolasha." Piña then turned their attention to Miller. "Miller, it's safe to head inside the city with us. Just remember to watch your creature's behaviour."

"Understood, Your Highness." He complied.

The group slowly approached the gate. As they moved closer, the extent of the wall's height became more apparent to the Militia duo. FX made a scan and found the height of the walls measured at 28 feet high. Miller, as usual, marvelled at the engineering.

They approached one of the entrances to Sadera laid along the route. The Order of the Rose entered first. With respect, the guards stood proudly before the presence of the knights. When they finished with their passage, Miller and FX followed. The guards were filled with both surprise and curiosity in regards to their appearance; their minds were filled with questions as they have not seen these kinds of designs before.

After entry, the duo began to do some sightseeing while following the Order. The architecture around them resembled those of the Roman Empire, with a slight mix of medieval designs blending in. At the beginning, all they could see were buildings with their orange roof tiles and aged white walls, some occupied by people from many walks of life.

The daily lives of the citizens were surprisingly not as different as that in the Frontier. Poverty, homelessness, crime, and lack of cleanliness were the problems plaguing a city like Sadera. Then again, even rich cities, nations, and planets in both the Core and the Frontier were not spared from their reach.

As with the guards, the nearby denizens were surprised by the appearances of the duo. Most of their attention was pointed towards FX. Chatter was exchanged among the people.

"FX, looks like everyone is staring at us." Miller assessed.

An example came when a mother of two children was carrying them home after the daily run at the market. The young boy with short hair turned his eyes on the gentle giant upon ensnaring her in his sights. His slightly older brother caught him running off to the duo.

"Felix, wait!" He called him before giving chase. This alerted the mother.

"Boys! Come back!" She did the same to her children.

The younger brother waded through the crowd before arriving at the duo, huffing slightly. They took notice of the boy, and Miller jumped off the chassis to attend to Felix.

"Hey, what are you doing, kiddo?" The Pilot kneeled in greeting the kid.

"Are you a mage, mister?" The kid happily asked.

"Hahaha…." Miller chuckled in delight and gently rubbed Felix's head to bring the boy some laughs. "You could say that."

The older brother made it to his sibling. "Felix…" Before saying anything else, he saw the odd duo and was bounded by their appearances. "Whoah!"

"Felix, Marcus…" The desparate mother shouted before approaching them. Heads from both the children and the duo turned towards her before the former returned to their parent.

Miller could only offer a smile, seeing a family reunited.

"Is that your mom?" He asked.

"Yup." Felix replied.

The mother turned to the man. "I'm sorry if my children are bothering you two."

"No, nothing to worry." He assured her. "It just gave me some happy memories of my childhood."

"Tehehe…" The mother chuckled. "You are just like my kids."

"Yeah… true."

As the family began to leave, the children waved good-bye to the new visitors. It brought the Pilot a tear in his right eye.

" _Mom… Dad…"_

Those words were thought out with grief.

It was not long before FX gently touched his back. When he turned to see him, she signalled the Pilot to continue moving as they were gradually falling behind the Order.

"Oh, right…"

FX extended her left hand as she offered her Pilot a lift on top of her again to let his legs relax. He accepted and hopped back on her before resuming his enjoyment of the sights.

By the time the group crossed into the inner walls, the architecture changed. The buldings featured a colorful mix of red and yellow-tiled roofs that shine for miles away. Below them, tall pillars formed arches that serve as entrances. These hold meaning as they serve as the Empire's seat of power.

As a testament to the importance of the area, numerous guards armed with swords and polearms openly stood watch to protect it from any harm.

Unlike the commoners outside the walls, the people there were more formally dressed. Togas of different colors were openly being flaunted to serve as a symbol of their power and wealth. Some even featured different designs imprinted on the clothing.

The group stopped at an open area. Everyone except for FX and Miller felt tired after a long journey back to the capital. Piña approached the duo.

"This here is the Imperial Palace. My father, His Majesty the Emperor Molt Sol Augustus, resides here. I must attend to him at once." She informed them. "Remain here until I request your presence."

"Got it, Your Majesty." Miller complied.

With the swinging of the bridle, her horse pranced before speeding away to the palace.

 **XXXXXXX**

The princess arrived at the throne room, where the Emperor was waiting. As she began her approach to her father, the grand door closed with an imposing and echoing bang. It was all quiet and tense.

She kneeled before him as the former sat on his throne. His right hand was connected to his beard while in a waiting pose.

"Your Majesty." Piña called him formally. "Pardon me for the intrusion, but I have arrived as per your request."

"Very good, my daughter." He spoke calmly. "And what about your 'plaything?'"

"They are here as well, ready and waiting for your summons. I would like to request the details of what happened in Knappnai."

"Very well." The emperor stood up and walked towards his daughter. "The predictions of the high priests are true, and we are facing a threat unlike any other since our great nation's rise. There is an army from the sky occupying the area."

"An army from the sky…?" Piña could wonder.

"Yes, my daughter. Our forces there were easily wiped out. From what the survivors told me, they utilized magic and creatures very different from our own."

"What do you mean, father?"

"They mentioned streaks that pierce through armor like it was nothing, dark dragons that emit a very distinct sound as they flew by, and giants that roam the lands mercilessly with their unusual staves."

"Dark dragons… giants…" Piña then remembered. "Wait… father, I have someone who might know more about this. He has a giant as well and is currently looking for a place to recover."

"Oh… What happened to him?"

"He and his creature were sent to our lands forcibly by their enemies via a portal during their last battle. That's all he can explain to us."

"Hmmm…" He pondered for a moment. "Bring him here."

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

 **XXXXXXX**

By the summons of Emperor Molt, Miller arrived at the room to answer his questions. With FX's advice in his head, he was ready for the talk. The man could only wonder as his appearance intrigued him.

"So, you are the man whom Piña was referring to."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Miller answered as he dutifully knelt.

"I am Molt Sol Augustus, the leader of this great nation. What is yours?"

"My name is Miller Gutierrez from the land of Harmony."

"Harmony, eh?…" He was full of gentle mirth. "That's a strange name for your nation."

"Indeed, but it is a deceiving one as well. We have a military strong enough to defend ourselves." The answer was deliberate since Molt and the other locals do not know the full extent of the Militia's strength, or how the Frontier really looked like.

"I see. By the way, I am intrigued by your mastery of the enchanted creature my daughter told me about."

"Oh, that?" Miller began to move to the next part of the discussion. "It is called a 'Titan.' We use them for a wide variety of applications, inside and outside the military."

"Really?"

"Yes. And we used them for a long time to build our society to what it is today, and to wage war."

"Interesting…" With that detail already aired, Molt proceeded to the next phase: a request. "Well then, if that's the case, the Empire would like to ask for your services. We have a problem that you can probably figure out."

By the time the emperor made his request, Miller suspected the IMC might be the problem the Empire was currently facing. If what he and his Titan saw were to be true, then it appeared the Empire has virtually zero chance of winning, unless a miracle were to happen.

"Alright, we'll take it." The Pilot eagerly agreed.

"That's my boy." He returned to his throne. "Three nights ago, our forces stationed at Knappnai were defeated in a single stroke by a force coming from the sky. Some of the survivors reported seeing magic being used to pierce armor like it was nothing. Not only that, they have seen dark dragons and giants that can enchant spells as if they are mages."

They were the details the Pilot was looking for. "I know them…"

Molt was surprised by his quick response. Even his daughter followed suit. "You fought them before?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Miller began to introduce the enemy. "They call themselves the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation, or IMC for short. They have weapons that can kill from far away and their Titans provide the bulk of their combat power." As an example for the former, he visually presented his Flatline to the emperor. "Let me show you an example."

Molt marveled at its unusual design. "This is it… a magic staff."

"This is one of the weapons many of your men were shot with, and its extremely dangerous. From where we come from, everyone can use it for as long as they are properly trained, though there are many cases of people secretly being taught in this skill."

"So, the people of your land are mages?"

"No. We aren't mages." He honestly admitted.

"Then, what is that thing anyway?"

"It's a gun. Simply put: it fires quick-moving metal arrows to kill at a distance… or magic that can pierce through armor."

Slightly confused but still satisfied with the answer, Molt has one more thing to request. "Young Miller, there is one thing left to do before we start our fight against the so-called 'Ayemsee…'

 **XXXXXXX**

The emperor's last request was simple: let him see Miller's Titan.

The Pilot guided the leader outside to the entrance of the palace grounds. There, a magnificent green giant as described by Miller was waiting for him. Her blue "eye" focused on the guest as his own opened widely in both surprise and amazement upon seeing the armor-like surface.

"Ah… the 'Titan…'"

"It's a special one my army currently uses, Your Majesty. And I'm one of the lucky few to wield its true power." Miller openly declared.

"Very good, my boy." Molt smiled upon the Pilot and the giant. "With your power and our support, we can end the threat once and for all."

Just then, someone shouted quite rudely.

"Father!"

Everyone turned to see another visitor. The man was tall and muscular-looking, with features such as spiked blonde hair, burgundy-colored plate armor, and white cape. Those features belong to those of important people within the Empire.

"What is that creature doing here? And what of the plan against the invaders?"

"My son, that creature is our weapon against the army from the sky." Molt criticized his kin. "You are also in the presence of its master." He showcased Miller.

The man was not amused with the answer. "'Him?' Is he even a mage?"

"I'm not a mage in your terms, but I am doing a favor for the Empire and this world's sake." Miller countered. "At least try to be a bit hopeful."

"I don't need your help. Our glorious army will show them no mercy. You will see!"

Fuming, he left with his arms straight down.

"Harsh…" Miller commented on his behaviour.

"He is always like that since a long time ago." Piña offered an explanation. "My brother, Zorzal, relishes in the glories of our past. He thinks that he can get everything without any major consequence, politically and militarily, and he would be right... until you two came here and told us everything about the Ayemsee."

All he could do was sigh in disappointment. Zorzal's mental and moral compass were distorted considerably.

 **XXXXXX**

Nightfall came and Piña was guiding the Pilot to an inn west of the city to settle down for the night before his mission begins. Much of the Saderan denizens have nothing much to do in the dark. For the men, however, it was the time to drink and exchange stories of either their day of work or of their pasts.

The room he will be staying was very different compared to the ones found in any home in the Frontier, featuring a bed draped in white, a table, and a chair. Nevertheless, its simple styling made him remind himself of his home. "Clean, quiet, and comfy" were his words being thought out.

"Alright, I better be going back to my mansion." Piña said her final well-wish for the day.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Miller bowed. "Take care of yourself."

"You too." With the door closed, she left to rest.

For a while, Miller thought of things to do before he sleeps. He donned his helmet to contact FX for a situation report.

"FX, do you copy?"

"I read you, Pilot. What do you need?" His Titan asked.

"Gotta say good-night to my girl before our day tomorrow." Miller chuckled. "How's the situation?"

"So far, I have not detected any IMC signals. We are still in the clear for now."

"Thanks, FX. Good night."

"Good night, Pilot." The transmission ended.

Finally, he brought out his electronic tab to record a log of what happened today. Miller was slightly nervous about anyone hearing what he said.

 **XXXXXX**

" _ **First Lieutenant Miller Gutierrez's log 418…**_

 _ **It was supposed to be a mission to see what was going on back in New Florida. We found out that there was a device meant to transport matter from one place to another. I wouldn't be that surprised if the IMC would try to bring in reinforcements from the Core after Demeter.**_

 _ **But I didn't expect me and my Titan to be stranded in another world… one where there are people in a Roman-like period.**_

 _ **Anyway, we have reasons to believe that the IMC is interested in the world we are in. The local emperor has asked us to take care of the situation, but we have to first find a way to get supplies after expending all of our weapons to the point of using a broadsword we stole. Things are about to turn nasty."**_

 **Gutierrez's logbook**

 **XXXXXXX**

A pair of Northstars arrived at the site of the downed Phantom during their recon mission to explore new areas. They were set to follow and escort the Pilots that just got out as they began their investigation. Closely, they looked at the charred remains to find clues that could solve the mystery.

"Found something?" The commander asked his subordinate.

"Found the pilot's remains, sir." He responded as he kept his eyes on the blackened remains of the pilot. "Looks like he didn't eject in time."

"Damn… Just what happened?"

 **XXXXXXX**

 _ **A/N: Finally… after a month this is complete. Took me a lot of time trying to sort out the chapter, but it's worth the effort.**_


	3. Chapter 2 - Prelude to War

"Where are we going, Dad…"

"Oh… Mill, wait 'till you get a look at this."

A young boy who just came from eating breakfast was under the arms of his father as the latter guided him to the family shed. It was his lucky day, for he was about to witness something his father had done for a long time since their arrival at Harmony.

He will be sitting on top of his father's lap as a Titan was to be operated for him to marvel at.

The father unlocked the door and opened it to reveal the big machine, with its cockpit opened, croutching in front of them. Its yellow-colored surfaces were soiled by dirt and scratches as a result of years of work at the farm. Yet, for all these testaments, it was well maintained past the day it was rolled out of the factory and sold in the market.

"Wow…" Miller chirped, and his eyes sparkled.

"You excited for this, Mill?" The father asked after giving his son's hair a nice rub.

"Yeah!" A nod was given.

"C'mon." With a wave, the father moved first to provide his son a platform to hang on to. "Here, Mill."

For a few moments, the two hold firm to lessen the burden of climbing into the Titan's cockpit. His father went in first, followed by Miller after he was given a hand. Now, it was a few switches away from being online and outside the shed.

"Hey, excuse me, let me turn this on." The father playfully requested his son to give him some space as he was about to flip the necessary switches. When they were performed, a roar erupted from its engine. The instrument panels flashed as well.

" _Welcome back, Pilot."_ The operating system greeted the user. _"All systems nominal."_

Smiles and chuckling were exchanged among the two. They were now ready for a run outside.

 **XXXXXXX**

"Mnngghh…" Miller grunted and opened his eyes to see almost nothing under the darkness. The only source of light came from his room's window, supplied by the moon hovering above the land.

The dream brought him memories of his childhood past, one filled with excitement and adventure like those of almost all kids. It also reminded him of the Frontier, giving him the urge to find a way back while survivng in an unknown world that was now under the threat of the IMC.

As a prelude to his attempts in reducing the stress, he raised his upper body and performed some breathing exercises. He monitored his thoughts as well. It took just less than a minute until he felt confident that he can resume his sleep.

"Alright, that should do..." He lowered himself and draped his exposed chest with the bed's white blanket.

With his eyelids lowered, the slumber resumed.

"Aaaaahh!" Distant screaming erupted. The calm broke down just as it began to return, forcing Miller to rise up worriedly.

"What the…?"

Quickly noticing the commotion, the Pilot sprang into action. He first equipped his helmet and checked the outside via his window to see if there are any suspicious activities down below. After a moment, nothing came up on his screen.

With haste, he grabbed his helmet, shirt, and pants for a quick change. With his pistol and Data Knife on hand, he made his way downstairs, but once he went outside, he spotted a woman passing by. Closely following her was a group comprised of three older men.

Based on his observation, it appeared that the woman was the one who cried for help.

Miller steeled for battle. "Hey, you bastards!" A challenge to the men was loudly aired, causing them to stop and turn their attention to the Pilot.

"Who are you?" The man on the left asked.

"Leave her alone…!"

The woman stopped upon hearing the exchange. She turned to see someone coming for her aid, and at the same time, she felt worried for him, the Pilot.

"Ahahahaha!" Another on the right mocked. "You against the three of us?"

"I'm warning you… I'm more than capable of taking you on."

"Hmm… Alright. Let's do this." Turning his head to his accomplices, he gave out a nod of approval to start attacking, and they started charging towards Miller.

As soon as he was within punching distance, the miscreant at the front began to throw one at the defender. Suddenly, Miller stopped the attempt with the edge of his wrist near the elbow joint of the attacking arm. A direct hit to the neck with his hand and a series of punches to the stomach came immediately after. He was then kicked.

The man was pushed back, prompting his allies to make their move against the Pilot. The one of the front attempted to land a punch as well, but it resulted in a similar outcome. A headlock captured the miscreant, providing Miller with a leverage in order to tempt his friend into trying to attack him without hurting an ally. Gullibly, he did that while the Pilot dragged the captive with him.

When the time came, a hit to the stomach with the knee was given. The pain made the accomplice drop to the group, groaning in pain while his friend attempted to avenge him. He, too, was struck down after he was hit onto the jaw.

With the two men down, the leader was angry, but at the same time, fear and confusion began to take hold of him. As the Pilot began to make his approach, he slowly retreated back.

"Wh-Who the hell are you?!" He asked.

"Unless you don't want to see the light of day again, I suggest that you leave with your friends." A warning was given. "Don't ever threaten her again."

The leader's limbs were shaking, and his breathing got faster. He had to make a choice: leave with his friends and heed to the demand, or fight and recieve another round of powerful attacks, courtesy of rigurous training from the Frontier.

"Damn you…!" He began rushing one more time, determined to hit the Pilot.

Miller followed suit. Two men were rushing head-on towards each other. The criminal began to put force onto his fist, ready to land a blow.

"Uuuaaaaggggg…!" Then, the Pilot quickly grabbed his arm "Wha... aaaaaahhh!"

The man was lifted and thrown onto the ground. The prior pain intensified as defeat became a reality.

"What's going on?" A distant voice of a male echoed nearby. It was a fortunate timing for Miller and the woman, for the fight had reached the ears of those sleeping. It was not for the miscreants, however.

"Hey, we have bad guys here!"

Not wanting to take further part and leave some embarrassment onto his pride, the leader slowly moved himself away from the scene, abandoning his accomplices to fend for themselves. As soon as Miller turned to keep eyes on the miscreants, he caught sight of the man leaving. He could catch him, but he decided not to pursue in exchange for risking the girl's restored safety.

Relieved that the situation was quickly resolved, he went to the woman to check on her condition. She was messed up after all the running she had to do to escape, evident by her chothing that were quite soiled and the numerous strands of hair that were sticking out.

"You alright, ma'am?"

"Oh, yes. Thank you so much, kind sir!" She answered with her renewed sense of calm as she bowed. "You are one amazing fighter."

He chuckled and slightly blushed. "Just doing my job."

"There you are." The one who broke the cry to action, a beared fellow clothed in his tunic, arrived near the duo. He was also the owner of the inn Miller was staying for the night. "What happened?"

"I was running away from these men who were trying to violate me." She first pointed at the two men who were about to stand up, and then Miller was next. "This kind man beat them really hard."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. Yes he did."

The owner rushed to the two men and began to show disgust at their actions.

"Ah… I see." The accomplices turned before silently cursing at the situation and their now-cowardly friend. "Those guys, right?"

"Yes, sir. There was a third guy, but he chickened out of here at the last minute." Miller answered.

The owner shook in disappointment. "Hummm… that's too bad."

To keep them in line with some fear, the Pilot returned to the two miscreants. Their eyes widened and, in a moment of breakdown, knelt into bawling.

"Please… don't do this!" The left man pleaded for mercy. "We promise we won't do it again!"

The Pilot grabbed him by the clothes to establish eye contact one last time. "You promise?"

A nod was given.

"Good." He quickly released the miscreant.

Heeding his warning, the two retreated to the shadows.

 **XXXXXXX**

The hour was getting late. Well past midnight, the lady was offered refuge at the inn until daylight can provide her safe passage home. She and Miller followed the owner upstairs. As the Pilot stopped at his room, the lady continued on until the owner opened hers. There, a neatly-prepared bed was waiting for her.

"Here you go, young lady." He beamed as he gave her the room key. The lady expressed relief.

"Thank you very much." She replied.

"If you need anything, just let me know." The owner offered before walking away for him to sleep. "Good night, everyone."

"Good night." Miller and the lady responded simultaneously.

The two turned heads at each other.

"This maybe our last goodbye, to be honest." With regret, the Pilot admitted.

"You're leaving?" She was caught off-guard.

"Yeah. Got some things to do outside the capital."

As clouds of disappointment started to envelope her, she attempted to mitigate its effects by putting on a brave face.

"Well, I would like to say thank you again for everything." She said gratefully. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have returned with the pottery I'll be buying from here."

"Any idea on what to do with them?"

"My family owns a tavern in the town of Silvia, just east of the capital. We are actually getting more popular with the customers recently. We're thinking that with these, we could make their time more worthwhile."

Miller was quite interested with what her family's tavern had to offer. "Maybe if I have were to make a stop, you got something good? A best-seller, perhaps?"

"We do offer Ma-Nuga stew. It's a family recipe, and it's very tender. A lot of people love it."

"Alright. You got yourself a customer." Thanks to her offering, it was enough to make the lady positive for another meeting with him in the future.

"Oh, one thing, we haven't gave out our names… if that's alright with you." A request to know his name was aired. "I'm Aeliana."

"Aeliana?" A moment of brief pondering was done before signalling his appreciation. "That's a nice name."

"Hehe… thanks." She chuckled.

"You can call me 'Miller.'" He gave out his name.

"'Miller…'" As with Panache, she was initially confused about his name. However, as with the Pilot, it only took a moment for her to appreciate it. "It sounds a bit weird… but I like it."

When she sensed that time was requesting her to get some sleep, Aeliana entered the door. Her head was sticking out so that she can say a farewell.

"Good night." After that, she closed the door.

Miller gave out a smile in reply before entering his. His now-stained clothes were returned to the chair, and his pistol and knife were laid to rest again on the table.

All he could do was hope that no further problems like Aeliana's would arise again, especially during the night.

 **(Italica)**

Situated along the Appia and Dessria highways, this walled town served as one of the most important economic lifelines in the Empire. Whatever goods being hauled, they would often pass by the city for trading with the locals.

In a tavern within the town, business was booming. A lot of people from far and wide came to take their time off and settle for a plate prepared with a freshly-made dish and a mug containing a desired drink. While consuming, they would talk about various topics, ranging from business matters to home matters. Sometimes, complaints would erupt from them which would usually result in the expulsion of any customer involved from the establishment.

One example came when a man attempted to grope a female. But this case was unusual; instead, it resulted in him being trapped in a headlock and sent towards a table immediately afterwards. Due to the unusual fighting style of the woman, he struggled to set himself free, even with all his strength.

The woman in question was quite short and busty compared to most females within the area. As well, she was covered in an unusual set of white-colored armor that hugged her body quite well. Furthermore, it was decorated with a wide assortment of pouches and tools.

"Give up?" She mercilessly threatened her attacker, squeezing his neck gradually. "This one will kill you if you don't."

"I...I...ack...!" He had a hard time talking. Chocking towards his death was right around the corner.

"Speak up!"

"I…ackk...surr...render…ugh!" The broken words of defeat touched the woman, resulting in his release. He quickly started gasping for air after falling to the ground.

Everyone around the woman and the miscreant were stunned as the former returned to her seat and continued with her drinking session as if nothing happened. She started to feel some discomfort upon seeing the people's eyes still gazing at her.

"Just continue, everyone..." It was all she had to say. Everyone cautiously returned to their normal routines.

Minutes after, her cup was now devoid of any liquids. It was time for her to take her leave and be on her way. She stood up, took her helmet that was laid on the table, and headed for the door.

Upon setting foot outside, the street was in getting busy. Merchants and customers moved in two directions towards their intended destinations.

"Having a little playtime, Shino?" The woman turned towards her right where the source of the playful voice came from. There, a crimson-eyed girl in her pre-teens was smiling. Her elegant dress consisting of red, black, and white radiated vibrantly to stand out from the crowd. The most unusual thing was her halberd - despite the weight, she had no problems in holding it.

"How did you figure that out, Rory?" Shino asked on how the girl knew of the incident.

"Emroy knows everything about what's happening." Rory gave out the answer. "I can even feel your aura radiating."

"Oh-kaay." The woman was a bit skeptical. After that, she moved on. "Looks like we're done here. C'mon."

The two ladies left for their journey, wherever they were heading.

 **XXXXXXX**

 _ **A/N: That's pretty much it for this chapter. This will serve as to build up some hype for what's going to happen next.**_


	4. Chapter 3 - Escape

**(Sadera)**

Just after sunrise, Miller was inspecting his firearms for the battle ahead, down to the barrel. This was a normal and important routine for all soldiers; leaving them alone would cause anyone firing their weapons to lose their lives, time or even hard-earned tactical advantages in the middle of a battle due to malfunction.

When they were complete, a sigh was let out. He had finished. Even before that, his stomach was in search of some breakfast, something that he could enjoy before leaving the safety of the capital.

As soon as his remaining belongings were packed, he left for the door. A twist on the key locked the room securely for the next tired guest to make use of. He made his way downstairs to the lobby to deposit his room key back to the owner.

Outside, by the time the morning sun rose higher than before, the newly-awakened inhabitants gradually populated the roads, bringing in the bustling atmosphere. Miller took one last glimpse of the inn.

Suddenly, his helmet picked up an incoming transmission from FX. Miller wasted no time in finding an alleyway where he could talk quietly with his Titan.

"Yeah?"

"Pilot, our position is compromised." FX brought something worrying. "Incoming contact approaching from the east at a high speed." It was the report the duo feared ever since their contact with the locals. A possible IMC aerospacecraft was detected approaching the capital.

"Shit!" He quietly cursed. "FX, I'm on my way now."

Breaking from cover, he began to make a western sprint through the busy streets.

"Miller, hold up!" A familiar voice shouted. He stopped and turned his head to see Panache approaching him.

"Panache?"

"Where do you think you are heading? We have your supplies ready."

"Lady Panache, I have to leave right now. The IMC has spotted us." The Pilot gave out the reason.

"Already?"

"Yes." He did not have time to stay much longer.

Just then, a noise slowly filled the area. Sadera's residents turned their heads towards the sky in efforts to look for the source.

"That sound from last night…" The knight uttered, remembering the event.

To Miller, it was certainly an IMC aerospacecraft.

"I'm sorry…" He murmured to Panache and resumed running, leaving her behind.

"Wait!" She shouted to no avail.

As he ran, the apparent engine noise was close enough for him to turn his head to confirm the contact - it was another IMC Phantom.

 **XXXXXXX**

Originally this was supposed to an exploration flight, but the situation quickly changed for the lone Phantom as it was making a flyby over the city. The radar detected an unknown contact below.

"Contact detected, moving in." The pilot informed his base of operations. He activated the camera to confirm the target. When it got a clear picture, he was shocked. "What the hell...?"

"Leopard 1, what is it?" The operator asked.

"Be advised: we have a Militia Vanguard-class Titan south of the city - repeat - a Militia Vanguard-class Titan, west of the city."

The target brought shock to the operator. No one was expecting a Militia combatant, and the presence was a cause for concern.

"A Vanguard...here?!"

"Affirmative. Transmitting position." The Phantom pilot said as he gave out the enemy's location to the base.

"Data received." The operator confirmed. "Leopard 1, you are cleared to engage."

"Leopard 1, wilco."

He activated his aerospacecraft's fire-control system and armed his rockets. His targeting reticle was aligned with the now-moving Vanguard.

"Firing rockets!" A small salvo of them was immediately launched from their two pods.

Before the rockets could land any hits, the Titan made dashed away in a backwards fashion from the projectiles' path. A crater was formed in the wake of the impact.

Suddenly, his radar warning receiver began beeping. A missile was launched.

"SHIT!" He jinked to the left in an attempt to evade.

The high-velocity missile exploded after a few seconds of flight. A significant portion of his control surfaces were hit, making him fight for dear life by keeping his craft in the air long and high enough for a safe ejection.

"Mayday, mayday! This is Leopard 1, I'm hit - going down!" When the time was right, he quickly pulled the ejection lever. His body felt the intense forces coming from the seat's onboard boosters that propelled him away from his Phantom. By that point, he could only watch his craft fall violently towards the ground, ending in an explosive crash.

 **XXXXXXX**

"I'm outside." The Pilot radioed upon exiting the capital's west gate.

"Copy. I have visual confirmation on you." His Titan appeared on the Pilot's HUD almost immediately. The duo ran towards each other and were reunited. Wasting no time, FX immediately opened the cockpit and grabbed Miller to allow him to assume manual control. "Transferring control to Pilot."

The duo immediately headed west to escape the scene. Shortly after, they began to traverse through a nearby forest, shielding themselves from view for the time being.

"Caution: enemy Titanfall detected. Get ready." FX warned.

"Copy that." Miller replied with mixed feelings.

The duo directed their attention to the streaks of friction coming from the Titan's hypersonic drop up ahead. When it landed, the birds were violently interrupted from their functions, sending them to fly away from the disturbance.

It was not the only enemy to appear.

"Reapers imbound. Be careful."

In an effort to minimize damage, the duo backed away from the dropzone and let the IMC combatants split up to find them. With FX's scanning active, they could see the group breaking up as intended. By that point, smaller blips were found, indicating that Ticks - autonomous anti-personnel drones - were deployed to act as explosive force multipliers.

The duo began to charge towards the nearest contact with their broadsword unsheathed, evading a few of the Ticks when they got close.. When they approached it, it was confirmed to be a Reaper with its forearms ready to fire. A swing of the sword cut through the skeletal midsection like melting butter with a hot knife, slicing it in two.

The next contact was moving southwest. The Militia duo moved into its direction, and upon arrival, they confirmed that the next hostile was an IMC Tone armed with its 40mm Tracker Cannon. Unaware of their position, they dashed and slashed the Titan with the sword. The Tone offered no resistance as it received hit after hit, quickly severing almost all critical systems.

The final blow came when FX thrusted the broadsword towards the cockpit. The Tone was completely motionless. When the sword was removed, its central ridge and the point were splattered with blood, indicating that it killed the Pilot.

The Tone fell down to the ground with sparks erupting from damaged components.

"Well done, Pilot." FX congratulated her Pilot. "Our combat effectiveness rating has increased."

Miller felt a bit relived now that they have possession of a ranged Titan weapon. He let out a sigh. Aside from the cannon, the two scavenged the remains for any available ammunition. Fortunately, they were able to find six intact ammunition boxes containing the 40mm rounds.

"Pilot, I'm picking up a faint voice signature from our 2 o'clock."

"A voice...?" Miller was startled by the discovery. "Oh no…"

 **XXXXXXX**

Panache was in pursuit of Miller ever since she approached the footprints of his creature. The trail led her into the vicinity of the nearby Antia Forest. She held her sword's grip tightly in preparation and began traversing through the thick canopy of trees and other vegetation.

Then, strange noises were heard. The ominous shrieking sound put the knight into a predicament, and her horse was getting scared before being calmed down.

The loud footprints came. Panache raced towards the source, but instead of Miller and his creature, it was something else. It was smaller, its body had a shade of white and hunched back, and its arms and midsection looked skeletal. Overall, it looked more like a monster.

"What is that…?" She asked herself as she took cover behind a tree.

Suddenly, something else was approaching from behind.

"Eh?"

When she turned around, what she found next would rock her to the core.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

The creature in question was even smaller, and below its spherical red body were four legs. The multiple red-glowing eyes around it could strike fear to anyone like Panache.

Her body was pressed into the tree, unable to do much. What she did in response was by throwing her sword at the spider-like creature. The creature's eye glowed even brighter in a hue of orange, and hissing sounds were made.

Fearing of what it might unleash, she made a run away from it. Moments later, a loud explosion erupted. The white creature soon spotted the knight and began its pursuit. This turned Panache's attention, making things worse for her. It then made a leap ahead of her and assumed combat posture, cutting her off.

To her, it looked like the end of the road.

Suddenly, its left side was hit in an explosion, making Panache cower in fear. It quickly turned before it was hit again in the same manner two times. It then exploded.

More loud footsteps were coming. Not wanting to waste time, she began to make a run for it.

"Panache!" A familiar voice called out to her, stopping her.

"...Miller?" When she turned her head, the man she was trying to find came. Relieved, she rushed to see him.

"You alright?"

"Yeah… with my life. Thanks." Her face was blushing a bit.

"No problem." Miller replied. The two were on their way to the man's creature.

"So, what now?"

"Well, we can't return to Sadera anytime soon, so we'll have to find other options in reaching Knappnai." He brought out the issue.

"Let me see…" Panache began to think of that by getting a hold of a map she had kept ever since her induction into the Order of the Rose. "We could start by heading west through the Appia Highway. There are a couple of towns along the way as it is a major road. My main concern is that it would take us about two months to reach there."

"No need to worry. The most important thing is that we stay alive long enough to face them."

When they closed in on the creature, Miller stopped and began talking in his native tongue. He said one last word.

"Lady Panache?" He asked her.

"Yes?"

"I hope you won't get scared later, because we are hiding something for your sake, and everyone else here." An advanced apology was made.

"Well, what is it? Just tell me." Panace allowed him.

"Alright." He turned towards his creature. "FX?"

"Greetings, Lady Kalgi." The creature talked in a feminine voice, using the Imperial language for the first time.

"Ah! Y-Y-You can talk…?" The knight was taken aback.

"Correct, and I apologize if I sound scary to you. I would like to do so to aid in our survival and fight against the IMC."

Panach began to calm down. "Okay…"

"I am FX-2047. You may call me 'Ef-ex.'" FX introduced herself.

"'Ef-ex… Got it.'" The name was uttered once. The knight found it easy to pronounce.

Then, something caught FX's attention

"Everyone, I detect another contact heading our way. I suggest that we move now." She warned.

"Please do." Panache pleaded. " But I don't have a horse to make use of."

"How about a ride in my cockpit?" The creature lowered her body to open her 'chest,' revealing the seat and a myriad of lighting.

"Are you sure this is okay?"

"Don't worry. I've been sitting in there since FX and I first linked up with each other." Miller assured her. "She will keep you safe. I promise."

After some deliberation, the knight noded. She climbed onto the seat and arranged herself nicely.

"Just don't touch anything inside, Lady Panache." The man warned. "I don't want anything bad to happen to us unexpectedly."

"I will."

The 'chest' was then closed. At first, being inside gave Panache some chills. Then, as if through magic, she was greeted with a view of the outside. This marveled her greatly.

"No way…"

Heading west while under pursuit, the long journey to Knappnai was underway.

 **(IMC Base India, Themiscyra)**

As one of the remaining permanent bases of IMC power in the Frontier, the forested planet was heavily fortified to deter a large-scale assault. As such, it housed a large military complex along the mountain ranges. Scattered around the surface to defend the place were multiple Orbital Defense Cannon outpost, barracks, and small airfields.

Inside, an IMC officer was making his way to the commander's office to relay to him the news about the situation at the planet Requiem, a newly-discovered location. He knocked once on the door.

"You may enter." The commander permitted his entry. He opened the door and marched through towards the desk.

In front of him, a man of old age was sitting on his chair, reading today's reports from both the frontlines and home. His glasses were aligned with his tired brown eyes for a while since their last adjustment. When the younger officer entered, he promply set aside the reports to focus on him.

"At ease." He cleared the officer to lower his right hand from the salute.

"Sir, we got a report from Task Force 703 about a Militia Vanguard-class Titan within the surface of planet Requiem and are in pursuit." He handed over to the commander the tablet containing the report.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, sir. It's right here." The commander began to take a peek at the contents, starting off with a screengrab from a Phantom moments before it was taken down. The profile matched that of a Vanguard.

"My God…" He uttered in concern.

 **XXXXXXX**

 _ **A/N: YES! Finally... after so long, I've managed to complete this chapter. It took a while because I was trying to think, but now that it's here, I am ready to continue.**_


End file.
